From the New York Times bestselling author of The Wedding Dress comes a new captivating novel of secrets, romance, and two women bound together across time by a shared dream.Tenley Roth’s first book was a runaway bestseller. Now that her second book is due, she’s locked in fear. Can she repeat her earlier success or is she a fraud who has run out of inspiration?With pressure mounting from her … of inspiration?
With pressure mounting from her publisher, Tenley is weighted with writer’s block. But when her estranged mother calls asking Tenley to help her through chemotherapy, she packs up for Florida where she meets handsome furniture designer Jonas Sullivan and discovers the story her heart’s been missing.
A century earlier, another woman wrote at the same desk with hopes and fears of her own. Born during the Gilded Age, Birdie Shehorn is the daughter of the old money Knickerbockers. Under the strict control of her mother, her every move is decided ahead of time, even whom she’ll marry. But Birdie has dreams she doesn’t know how to realize. She wants to tell stories, write novels, make an impact on the world. When she discovers her mother has taken extreme measures to manipulate her future, she must choose between submission and security or forging a brand new way all on her own.
Tenley and Birdie are from two very different worlds, but fate has bound them together in a way time cannot erase.
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not a memorable book
In the past couple years, I’ve heard about a new style of historical fiction stories. The authors weave an historical fiction story and a contemporary fiction story and put them in the same book, and there’s something that connects the historical with the contemporary. The Writing Desk by Rachel Hauck is one of those stories and it is the first story like it that I have read.
The historical story follows the life of a young woman named, Birdie, who is from a prominent American family during the Gilded Age. She is a free-thinking independent woman, but her parents try to force her to marry a man she doesn’t love, so that the two will be even more wealthy, and put Birdie at the height of society. Her mother is much more adamant about it than her father. However, Birdie wants to marry for love, and she wants to write stories.
The contemporary story follows the life of a young woman who wrote a book in the midst of her grief over the death of her father, and it quickly becomes a New York Times Bestseller. Therefore, Tenley is pressured to write another one, but she is paralyzed by writer’s block and struggles with her emotions and who she really is. Then her mother, who deserted her twenty years ago, calls and announces she has cancer and needs Tenley to come to Florida to take care of her. However, the man Tenley has been involved with gives her an engagement ring and asks her to marry him, and he invites her to go to Paris to write.
The lives of both women are so different, yet they are connected by several threads.
I found this book impossible to put down. Last night I stayed up an hour and a half later than I usually do because I just had to finish it. I always say that a book that can make me laugh and cry is on my list of “best books”, and this one struck both of those chords within me, and there was one tremendous surprise twist in the story that I never suspected that made me laugh and cry tears of joy!
Because I, too, am a writer, I could relate to both the women in this story, and I continually cheered them on throughout the book. The other characters also evoked strong thoughts and/or emotions within me and I either, cheered for them or wished for them to go away.
Not only was this an incredible pair of stories woven together, it was also an incredible story of loss, hurt, guilt, pain, hope, healing, and love. Birdie, Eli, Tenley, Jonas, and even Alfonse, Rose, Blanche, and Holt will live on in my memory and heart for a long time to come. This book has endeared itself to me. It is the kind of book I LOVE to talk about with friends who have also read it, and it is a book I will highly recommend to anyone who loves a wonderfully, skillfully told story that includes all of the things I’ve listed above.
The Writing Desk by Rachel Hauck gets five stars from me.
I also have to say it is the first and only book that I have ever read by Rachel Hauck, but I will definitely be looking for more.
I received a copy of this book from The Fiction Guild. I was not asked or compensated for a favorable review. This was another wonderful book from Rachel. I enjoyed the story written from each persons feelings about so many things. I loved that two of the characters are both writers and brings them so much closer as you read the story. And the historical information brought into this book. When you think about so many young women of society not being able to make decision for themselves because of the fathers controlling their funds and trying to marry them off to men they may not love for better business responsibilities. Or English gentlemen marry wealthy young women from the state because they needed the influx of money from the new money of the US. And luckily a lot of those ended in happy marriages. I would recommend this book to all of my friends.
I greatly enjoyed this book. It takes the reader through several generations of women. It is historical, romantic and mysterious. I highly recommend it.
I enjoyed this book, the plot and the characters. I would recommend it to others for light reading.
The parallel plots were very intesting as the stories of Birdie and Tenley unfolded. Also, I enjoyed seeing Birdie’s and Tenley’s faith develop.
Another hit for Mis Hauck. I enjoy her books, they are all different and endearing.
Love this author and have loved every single book she has written. Just terrific to read.
I had reservations when I started this book as it did not have the feeling of my typical genre. However, I quickly became enamored with the story and characters. I really enjoyed the parallel of the two stories connected by the writing desk and, is what I feel, made the book work. There were unexpected twists along the story line as well. Very clever and well put together story, an enjoyable read, and more than just a romance novel.
Enjoyed the story and the unexpected twists and turns. Heartwarming and sweet.
Certain things were predictable but it was so fun to read. I really enjoyed this book!
I loved the two time periods/stories being told…captivating!!
This is such a great book! The characters are wonderful each in their own right. The main character is gracious, funny, quirky and has the best lines. You will enjoy this book, it’s truly just a good time!
This was such a wonderful story. I loved it immensely. The contrasts of the modern-day story and the historical story…The two characters, so different, yet so much the same…Both writers, but living in such different times that their struggles are so opposite. The writing was beautiful, the plot line elegant, the romance there but not overwhelming. I loved every minute. Highly recommended. Would I even dare to say, a must-read? Hmm. Probably!
A nice twist on how over the generations, family beliefs and actions, affect others. Some twists and turns will keep you reading.
It took a while for the characters to weave together but one they did the book was interesting
This book ended up having a good ending, but it was tedious getting there.
I really enjoyed this book. I recommend it However,it has strong spiritual/ Christian messages of forgiveness and family values. If you don’t like that perspective you may give a different rating. I highly recommended.
This is a delightful read!
Avid fan of her books